Improvement in potato-harvesters



J. E. HARDENBERGH.

Potato Digger. No. 26,102. Patented Nov. 15, 1859.l

Wfffesses.'

JACOB E. HARDENBERGH, OF FULTONVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-HARVESTERS.

lSpecification forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 26,102, dated November15, 1859.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB E. HARDEN- BERGH, of Fultonville, in thecounty of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Machine for Digging Potatoes and other Roots; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description ofthe same, reference being had. to the annexed drawings, making a part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side sectional view of myinvention, taken in the line .fr Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same, taken in the liney y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of an adjustable share,rotary screen, and a rotary discharging device attached to a mountedframe, and arranged substantially as hereinafter described, whereby thedesired work-to wit, the digging of potatoes and other roots-may beperformed very expeditiously and in a perfect and thorough manner.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, l will proceed to describe it.

A represents a rectangular frame, which is mounted on wheels B B, andhas a draft-pole, O, attached to its front end. The wheels B B areplaced loosely on their axle D; but the axle is made to rotate as themachine is drawn forward, in consequence of pawls ct in the wheelsengagingwith ratchets l) b on the axle. Then the machine, however, isbacked, the wheels will not rotate the axle, as the pawls a slip overthe teeth of the ratchets b b.

On the axle D,near oneend, atoothed wheel, E, is placed. This wheel Egears into a pinion, F, which is placed on the outer end of a shaft, G,on the back part of frame A. This shaft G has a bevel-wheel, H, on itsinner end, said wheel H gearing into a corresponding wheel, I, which isplaced loosely on a vertical shaft, J, but causes the latter to rotateby means of a feather and groove, the shaft being allowed to slidefreely up and down within wheel I. The wheel H on the inner end of shaftG is fitted on a hub or collar, which is placed loosely on the shaft,and is made to turn therewith by means of a groove and feather.

The hub or collar, by means of a lever, H', may be shifted on the shaft,so that the wheel H may be thrown in and out of gear with wheel I.

The upper part of the shaft J is fitted in a bearing, K, which issuspended on trunnions c c to admit of its swinging freely in the framein a plane having a transverse position with the axle D. The lower endof said shaft is stepped in a bar, L, as shown at a", the back end ofwhich is connected by ajoint, d, to the lower end of a rod, M, the upperend of which passes through a plate, e, has a screw-thread formed on it,and a nut, f, fitted thereon, as shown plainly in Fig. 1. The frontendof the bar L is connected by ajoint, g, to a flange, h, at the back partof a share, N, which is of V shape, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The stepa of the shaft J is allowed to turn and adjustitself in the bar L,similar to the bearing K of the upper end ofthe shaft.

To each side ofthe shareNa vertical bal-,6, is attached. These barsextend up through the frame A, and are connected at their upper ends bya cross-bar, j, through the center of which a screw-shaft, O, passes,said shaft be ing iitted in a nut in the cross-bar. The lower end of theshaft O bears on the frame A, and its upper end is provided with acrank, 7c.

On the lower part of the shaft J a rotary screen, P, is placed. Thisscreen may be formed of radial bars l, of equal length, attached to ahub or plate, m, on the shaft, the spaces between the bars l beingsufficiently narrow to prevent the potatoes or other roots to be dugpassing between them. The back edge of the share N is of concave form,concentric with the screen I), which extends quite close to it, as shownclearly in Fig. 3. Tile back end of the share at each side is providedwith a curved guard or fence, a, both of which are shown in Fig. 3.

On the rotating screen P a conical discharging device, Q, is placed.This may bc Aformed of a metal plate, and its upper en d is fittedaround a circular plate, It, which is placed loosely but eccentricallyon the sha-ft J, and is prevented from turning with the shaft by arod,p, which extends down from the fra-me A and through a slot in theedge of the plate, as shown clearly in Figs. l and 3. To the lower edgeof the discharging device Q a projecting bar, q, is attached, said barpassing down beswinging bearing K and step a* permitting ot' tween twoof the bars l, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The discharging device Q isplaced eccentrically on the rotary screen P to such a degree that itsback edge will merely or quite coincide with the back edge ofthe screenP, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation ot' the machine is as follows: The machine is drawn alongby a suitable team, the driver being seated on the frame A, and theshare N passes underneath the hills or drills and throws the earth andpotatoes or other roots on the rotary screen P, which, by the gearingdescribed, is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow l. The earthfalls between the bars Z ofthe screen, while the potatoes or other rootsare carried around'and discharged from the screen at the back part ofthe machine by the discharging device, which is rotated in the directionindicated b v arrow 2, the saine direction as the screen. 2y having thedischarging device rotate, stones or roots that might chance to catchbetween the bars Z of the screen will be thrown out therefrom withcertainty and without deranging either the screen or discharging device.By turning the shaft O'the share Nmay be raised or lowered, according tothe dept-h it is required to penetrate the earth, and the screen P anddischarging device Q may be correspondingly raised by turning the nutj', the

the proper movement of the shaft j to eit'ect such result. The flange h,prevents the casual depression ofthe screen P below the share.

I do not claim separately the share N, for that has been previously usedfor the same purpose, in connection with other devices; but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. Theemployment or use of the adjustable share N, in connection with therotary screen P and with or without the discharging device Q, the partsbeing applied to a mounted frame, and arranged to operate substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. The rotary discharging device Q, placed eccentrically on the screenP, kept in a proper relative position therewith by the plate R, androtated from the screen P by the projection q, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the share N, rotary screen P, and dischargingdevice Q, when attached to a mounted frame, A, and arranged,substantially as shown, so that the screen and discharging device may beadjusted independently ot' the share, and the discharging device Qrotated by the screen P and kept in an eccentric position thereon, t'orthe purpose specitied.

JACOB E. HARDENBERGB.

Witnesses:

MICH. HUGHES, J. W. MOLYNEUX.

